Heroes - County battle on

The Exiles had to withstand a second-half siege as Grays set about County like Tiny Tim getting stuck into his Christmas goose.

But Newport dug deep, and this was the first time the Essex side failed to score in a league match since September as County's game plan worked an absolute treat.

The home side huffed and puffed and were in almost total control, but were rarely in behind the Newport back line as manager John Cornforth got his tactics spot on.

For the first time this season he started with five at the back, with skipper Darren Jones sweeping behind Andrew Thomas and recent arrival Chris Curran.

All three were colossal at the back, with war-horse Curran like a general holding firm against an invasion.

Alongside him Jones kept up his recent run of tremendous form, but it was Thomas who stepped up to give his best performance of the season.

Time and time again he threw himself in the way of Grays' attackers, and when he could he would bring the ball out from the back to take the pressure off.

The midfield trio of Nathan Davies, Ashley Williams and youngster Tom Hooper worked their socks off all afternoon, joined by Gethyn Jones in the second half after Williams went off injured at half-time.

They were so effective that influential Grays skipper Stuart Thurgood, the England non-league internationalist believed by some to be the best player in the division, could not boss the proceedings as he did in the same fixture at Spytty.

Up front Jason Bowen was a constant pest to the Grays defence, and Jamie Moralee turned in arguably his best performance in an amber jersey.

The hitman ran himself into the ground, picking up free kicks and corners and generally making himself a nuisance against a formidable back four.

Moralee almost grabbed the opener in the first half when his vicious volley was only denied by a superb fingertip save by Grays 'keeper Ashley Bayes.

That triggered a ten-minute spell when County were just about on top, but as could be expected the play was mostly in County's half.

Despite this the first period did not see the onslaught that County might have worried about. Instead, the home side, enjoying the lion's share of the ball, tended to over-play their passes, and with space at a premium they were restricted to shots from distance.

With Andrew Delve in the County goal in great form, it would have taken something special to beat him, but the young 'keeper showed excellent handling throughout from the Grays' pot shots.

If the first half was as comfortable as County could ever have imagined, the second period was a different matter entirely.

The league-leaders went up through the gears, and when Curran had to depart after just over an hour when his calf tightened up, it was not looking good.

Aaron McLean found space but lashed wide from eight yards, then the excellent Scott Morgan had to make a couple of tremendous blocks on John Martin efforts.

The same man was shooting whenever he got the chance, as was full back John Nutter, but anything that did hit the target found Delve in confident form.

Andrew Thomas then headed inches over his own bar as County had to really dig deep to keep their goal intact.

By now it really was backs-to-the-wall stuff, and the Exiles were struggling to get out of their half.

But Grays were becoming increasingly frustrated, throwing on two new strikers, including the highly rated Leroy Griffiths.

But even his composure disappeared when he got in behind County on three occasions, only to duff his two shots and a cross, much to the relief and amusement of the travelling Amber hordes.

With the trenches holding firm, Cornforth's troops almost grabbed a cheeky winner right at the death when Bowen fed Gethyn Jones, and the midfield terrier burst into the penalty area and was only denied by another fine stop by Bayes.

But that would have been just too good to be true.

Grays: Bayes, Bruce, Nutter, Stuart, Matthews, Thurgood, Cole, Oli (G Hooper 63), McLean (Griffiths 70), West (Battersby 61), Martin. Subs not used: Emberson, Brennan. Booked: McLean (foul 49). County: Delve, L Phillips, Morgan, D Jones, Thomas, Curran (Morris 64), Williams (G Jones 45), Davies, Moralee, Bowen, T Hooper. Subs not used: O'Sullivan, J Phillips, Evans. Booked: D Jones (foul 89). Referee: T P Howes. Attendance: 610.

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NEWPORT County players did themselves proud as they picked up a massive point at Grays on Saturday, according to manager John Cornforth, writes Michael Gannon.

The Exiles had to withstand enormous pressure, especially in the second period, but they managed to hold on, to the delight of the boss.

"They did themselves and Newport County proud," Cornforth enthused. "I said that we couldn't carry any passengers and we haven't, they were tremendous to a man. "They really stood up to be counted."

Cornforth's troops put up the shutters and the manager was in no mood to apologise to the hosts for a backs-to-the-wall performance.

He said: "Their manager (Mark Stimson) said to me after the game, 'I hope you don't play like that every week,' but what was he expecting?

"Do they want us to come here and play with two at the back against a side that are 15 points clear at the top and who are averaging about four or five goals a game?

"We came here and we had a plan. We kept our shape and it worked very well."

He added: "That was a massive point for us, but if you keep your shape, then nine times out of ten you will get good results.

"We didn't have Chad Bond (injured) and changed things round, but with Darren Jones in behind Chris Curran and Andrew Thomas I think it worked well.

"Any forward will know they have been in a game when Chris is around. He is not fully fit yet, and that is why he came off.

"Andrew Delve was magnificent, and that was more like him, and the front two (Jason Bowen and Jamie Moralee) worked really hard for us.

"Tom Hooper has been a revelation, but they all were superb to a man."

Cornforth revealed that he even thought that County might have grabbed a famous victory.

"To be honest I am a bit disappointed we didn't win it," he said. "I don't want to put pressure on them by demanding clean sheets, but I think we are looking harder to beat, and that in itself helps the confidence."